Thursday, September 23, 2004

The US government's response to the Supreme Court ruling three months ago that Guantanamo detainees had recourse to US courts has been to drag their feet. Unfortunately, it seems the courts are losing their patience. A US federal judge has ordered the US government to justify why it is continuing to hold prisoners in Guantanamo and to explain for each one why they should not be released. While it's not made explicit in the article, if the government fails to convince the court, a writ of Habeas Corpus will almost certainly follow.

The message to the US government is clear: they must either charge the detainees or release them.